Maritime Photo Contest? More like, “We want unlimited rights to your best photos, but don’t want to pay for them”

In case you see an ad such as this one:

Make sure you read the fine print under the “Rules & Terms”.  In this case it reads:

“By entering the contest, entrants grant New Wave Media a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any educational, promotional, publicity, exhibition, archival, scholarly, commercial, and all other purposes.  Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible.  New Wave Media will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.”

Essentially, if you send your images in, you’re giving Maritime Reporter rights to profit from those images until the end of time, in exchange for really nothing at all.

Do yourself a favor, if you take good photos, don’t just give them away because someone asks you for them.  If you take exceptional images and want meaningful recognition by people who know photography, try the International Photo Awards contest.

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